Robots and accounting comparability: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing
Huijie Cui
International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
Search for more papers by this authorShangkun Liang
School of Accountancy, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Canyu Xu
School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
Correspondence
Canyu Xu, School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHuijie Cui
International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
Search for more papers by this authorShangkun Liang
School of Accountancy, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Canyu Xu
School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
Correspondence
Canyu Xu, School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
This paper focuses on how the employment of robot influences accounting comparability in Chinese manufacturing and provides evidence of a positive link. Promoting operating stability and reducing earnings management are two underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the positive link is more significant in firms within high-tech industries or owing higher skilled labour, with firms being covered by analysts or the legal environment being enhanced, and the positive link becomes more significant. Overall, our study brings substantial evidence that supports the spillover effect of robots on financial reporting.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Supporting Information
Filename | Description |
---|---|
acfi13363-sup-0001-Supinfo.docxWord 2007 document , 20.7 KB |
Appendices S1–S3. |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
REFERENCES
- Acemoglu, D. & Restrepo, P. (2018) The race between man and machine: implications of technology for growth, factor shares, and employment. American Economic Review, 108(6), 1488–1542.
- Acemoglu, D. & Restrepo, P. (2020) Robots and jobs: Evidence from US labor markets. Journal of Political Economy, 128(6), 2188–2244.
- Arents, J. & Greitans, M. (2022) Smart industrial robot control trends, challenges and opportunities within manufacturing. Applied Sciences, 12(2), 937.
- Ball, R., Robin, A. & Wu, J.S. (2003) Incentives versus standards: properties of accounting income in four east Asian countries. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 36(1–3), 235–270.
- Ballestar, M.T., Díaz-Chao, Á., Sainz, J. & Torrent-Sellens, J. (2020) Knowledge, robots and productivity in SMEs: explaining the second digital wave. Journal of Business Research, 108, 119–131.
- Barosz, P., Gołda, G. & Kampa, A. (2020) Efficiency analysis of manufacturing line with industrial robots and human operators. Applied Sciences, 10(8), 2862.
- Bauer, A.M., Fang, J., Pittman, J., Zhang, Y. & Zhao, Y. (2020) How aggressive tax planning facilitates the diversion of corporate resources: evidence from path analysis. Contemporary Accounting Research, 37(3), 1882–1913.
- Bradshaw, M.T., Bushee, B.J. & Miller, G.S. (2004) Accounting choice, home bias, and US investment in non-US firms. Journal of Accounting Research, 42(5), 795–841.
- Bradshaw, M.T., Miller, G.S. & Serafeim, G. (2009) Accounting method heterogeneity and analysts' forecasts. University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and Harvard University. Working paper.
- Chen, C.W., Collins, D.W., Kravet, T.D. & Mergenthaler, R.D. (2018) Financial statement comparability and the efficiency of acquisition decisions. Contemporary Accounting Research, 35(1), 164–202.
- Chen, J.Z., Chen, M.H., Chin, C.L. & Lobo, G.J. (2020) Do firms that have a common signing auditor exhibit higher earnings comparability. The Accounting Review, 95(3), 115–143.
- Cheng, H., Jia, R., Li, D. & Li, H. (2019) The rise of robots in China. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(2), 71–88.
- Cheng, J.C. & Wu, R.S. (2018) Internal capital market efficiency and the diversification discount: the role of financial statement comparability. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 45(5–6), 572–603.
- Choi, J.H., Choi, S., Myers, L.A. & Ziebart, D. (2019) Financial statement comparability and the informativeness of stock prices about future earnings. Contemporary Accounting Research, 36(1), 389–417.
- Choudhary, P., Merkley, K. & Schipper, K. (2021) Immaterial error corrections and financial reporting reliability. Contemporary Accounting Research, 38(4), 2423–2460.
- Christ, M.H., Emett, S.A., Summers, S.L. & Wood, D.A. (2021) Prepare for takeoff: improving asset measurement and audit quality with drone-enabled inventory audit procedures. Review of Accounting Studies, 26, 1323–1343.
- Cohen, D.A. & Zarowin, P. (2010) Accrual-based and real earnings management activities around seasoned equity offerings. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 50(1), 2–19.
- Cui, H., Liang, S., Xu, C., & Junli, Y. (2024). Robots and analyst forecast precision: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing. International Review of Financial Analysis, 94, 103197.
10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103197 Google Scholar
- Commerford, B.P., Dennis, S.A., Joe, J.R. & Ulla, J.W. (2022) Man versus machine: complex estimates and auditor reliance on artificial intelligence. Journal of Accounting Research, 60(1), 171–201.
- De Franco, G., Kothari, S.P. & Verdi, R.S. (2011) The benefits of financial statement comparability. Journal of Accounting Research, 49(4), 895–931.
- Dechow, P.M., Sloan, R.G. & Sweeney, A.P. (1995) Detecting earnings management. The Accounting Review, 20, 193–225.
- Dhole, S., Liu, L., Lobo, G.J. & Mishra, S. (2021) Economic policy uncertainty and financial statement comparability. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 40(1), 106800.
- Dhole, S., Lobo, G.J., Mishra, S. & Pal, A.M. (2015) Effects of the SEC's XBRL mandate on financial reporting comparability. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 19, 29–44.
- Ding, K., Lev, B., Peng, X., Sun, T. & Vasarhelyi, M.A. (2020) Machine learning improves accounting estimates: evidence from insurance payments. Review of Accounting Studies, 25, 1098–1134.
- Duan, D., Chen, S., Feng, Z. & Li, J. (2023) Industrial robots and firm productivity. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 67, 388–406.
- Endrawes, M., Feng, Z., Lu, M. & Shan, Y. (2020) Audit committee characteristics and financial statement comparability. Accounting & Finance, 60(3), 2361–2395.
- Estep, C., Griffith, E.E. & MacKenzie, N.L. (2023) How do financial executives respond to the use of artificial intelligence in financial reporting and auditing. Review of Accounting Studies, 20, 1–34.
- Fan, J.L., Zhang, H. & Zhang, X. (2020) Unified efficiency measurement of coal-fired power plants in China considering group heterogeneity and technological gaps. Energy Economics, 88, 104751.
- Fang, X., Li, Y., Xin, B. & Zhang, W. (2016) Financial statement comparability and debt contracting: evidence from the syndicated loan market. Accounting Horizons, 30(2), 277–303.
- Fedyk, A., Hodson, J., Khimich, N. & Fedyk, T. (2022) Is artificial intelligence improving the audit process. Review of Accounting Studies, 27(3), 938–985.
- Francis, B., Hasan, I. & Li, L. (2016) A cross-country study of legal-system strength and real earnings management. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 35(5), 477–512.
- Francis, J.R., Pinnuck, M.L. & Watanabe, O. (2014) Auditor style and financial statement comparability. The Accounting Review, 89(2), 605–633.
- Graetz, G. & Michaels, G. (2018) Robots at work. Review of Economics and Statistics, 100(5), 753–768.
- Huang, G., He, L.Y. & Lin, X. (2022) Robot adoption and energy performance: evidence from Chinese industrial firms. Energy Economics, 107, 105837.
- Imhof, M.J., Seavey, S.E. & Smith, D.B. (2017) Comparability and cost of equity capital. Accounting Horizons, 31(2), 125–138.
- International accounting standards board. (2010) The conceptual framework for financial reporting. London: IASB.
- Jia, W., Yang, T. & Zhang, X. (2023) The rise of robots and the fall of cost stickiness: evidence from Chinese manufacturers. Accounting & Finance, 63(3), 3147–3171.
10.1111/acfi.13022 Google Scholar
- Jung, J.H. & Lim, D.G. (2020) Robots, employment growth, and labor cost: a simultaneous equation analysis. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 159, 120202.
- Kim, J.B., Li, L., Lu, L.Y. & Yu, Y. (2016) Financial statement comparability and expected crash risk. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 61(2–3), 294–312.
- Kromann, L., Malchow-Møller, N., Skaksen, J.R. & Sørensen, A. (2020) Automation and productivity – a cross-country, cross-industry comparison. Industrial and Corporate Change, 29(2), 265–287.
- Lang, M.H., Maffett, M.G. & Owens, E. (2010) Earnings comovement and accounting comparability: the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption. Simon School Working Paper No. FR 11-03.
- Liang, S., Fu, R. & Yang, X. (2022) Concurrent independent directors in the same industry and accounting information comparability. China Journal of Accounting Research, 15(4), 100268.
10.1016/j.cjar.2022.100268 Google Scholar
- Lou, Z., Li, M., Shan, Y.G. & Ye, A. (2024) Does corporate digitalisation moderate real earnings management? Accounting & Finance, 1–40.
- Peterson, K., Schmardebeck, R. & Wilks, T.J. (2015) The earnings quality and information processing effects of accounting consistency. The Accounting Review, 90(6), 2483–2514.
- Roychowdhury, S. (2006) Earnings management through real activities manipulation. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 42(3), 335–370.
- Seamans, R. & Raj, M. (2018) AI, labor, productivity and the need for firm-level data. National Bureau of Economic Research. Working Paper.
10.3386/w24239 Google Scholar
- Shane, P.B., Smith, D.B. & Zhang, S. (2014) Financial statement comparability and valuation of seasoned equity offerings. Working Paper.
- Sohn, B.C. (2016) The effect of accounting comparability on the accrual-based and real earnings management. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 35(5), 513–539.
- Wang, F., Zhang, Z. & Xu, L. (2020) Corporate social responsibility and financial statement comparability: evidence from China. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(3), 1375–1394.
- Wang, J., Wang, Y.J. & Song, J. (2022) Minimum wage, robot application and labor income share: evidence from listed companies. Journal of Finance and Economics., 48(12), 106–120 (in Chinese).
- Wang, L., Zhou, Y. & Chiao, B. (2023) Robots and firm innovation: evidence from Chinese manufacturing. Journal of Business Research, 162, 113878.
- Wang, X., Fan, G. & Hu, L. (2019) Marketization index of China's provinces: NERI report 2018. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press. (In Chinese).
- Wang, Y.Q. & Dong, W. (2020) How the rise of robots has affected China's labor market: evidence from China's listed manufacturing firms. Economic Research, 55(10), 159–175 (in Chinese).
- Yip, R.W. & Young, D. (2012) Does mandatory IFRS adoption improve information comparability? The Accounting Review, 87(5), 1767–1789.
- Yu, F.F. (2008) Analyst coverage and earnings management. Journal of Financial Economics, 88(2), 245–271.
- Yu, L., Wang, Y., Wei, X. & Zeng, C. (2023) Towards low-carbon development: the role of robots in decarbonization in Chinese cities. Journal of Environmental Management, 330, 117216.
- Zhang, H., Da, Y., Zhang, X. & Fan, J.L. (2021) The impacts of climate change on coal-fired power plants: evidence from China. Energy & Environmental Science, 14(9), 4890–4902.
10.1039/D1EE01475G Google Scholar